The Polar Express
The Polar Express is a 2004 American 3D computer-animated film based on the 1985 children's book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg, who also served as one of the executive producers on the film. Written, produced, and directed by Robert Zemeckis, the film features human characters animated using live action motion capture animation. The film stars Daryl Sabara, Nona Gaye, Jimmy Bennett, and Eddie Deezen, with Tom Hanks in six distinct roles. The film also included a performance by Tinashe at age 9, who later gained exposure as a pop singer in the 2010s, as the CGI-model for the female protagonist. Castle Rock Entertainment produced the film in association with Shangri-La Entertainment, ImageMovers, Playtone, and Golden Mean for Warner Bros. Pictures, as Castle Rock's first animated production. The visual effects and performance capture were done at Sony Pictures Imageworks. The film was made with a budget of $165 million, a record-breaking sum for an animated feature at the time. The film was released in both conventional and IMAX 3D theaters on November 10, 2004. It grossed $310.6 million worldwide, and was later listed in the 2006 Guinness World Book of Records as the first all-digital capture film. The film also marks Michael Jeter's last acting role before his death, and the film was thus dedicated to his memory. Voice cast * Tom Hanks as the Hero Boy (motion-capture only), the Hero Boy's father, the Conductor, the Hobo, Santa Claus, and the Narrator * Daryl Sabara as the Hero Boy * Josh Hutcherson as the Hero Boy (additional motion-capture) * Leslie Zemeckis as Hero Boy's mother * Isabella Peregrina as Sister Sarah * Eddie Deezen as Know-It-All * Nona Gaye as the Hero Girl (sung by Meagan Moore) * Tinashe as the Hero Girl (motion-capture modeling) * Peter Scolari as Billy the Lonely Boy (motion-capture only) * Hayden McFarland as Billy the Lonely Boy (additional motion-capture) * Jimmy Bennett as Billy the Lonely Boy (sung by Matthew Hall) * Dylan Cash as Boy on Train * Brendan King and Andy Pellick as the Pastry Chefs * Josh Eli, Rolandas Hendricks, Jon Scott, Sean Scott, Mark Mendonca, Mark Goodman, Gregory Gast, and Gordon Hart as the Waiters * Andre Sogliuzzo as Smokey and Steamer * Michael Jeter as Smokey and Steamer (motion-capture only) * Chris Coppola as Gus the Toothless Boy and an Elf * Julene Renee as the Red Head Girl and an Elf * Phil Fondacaro, Debbie Lee Carrington, Mark Povinelli, and Ed Gale as Elves * Charles Fleischer as the Elf General * Steven Tyler as the Elf Lieutenant and the Elf Singer * Dante Pastula as the Little Boy * Eric Newton, Aidan O'Shea, Aaron Hendry, Kevin C. Carr, Bee Jay Joyer, Jena Carpenter, Karine Mauffrey, Beth Carpenter, Bill Forchion, Devin Henderson, and Sagiv Ben-Binyamin as Acrobatic Elves ** Additional Voices: Kenneth Mars, Annie Bovaird, Jennifer Darling, Jack Angel - Dog, Jim Cummings, Patrick Pinney, Sean Astin, Mickie McGowan, Phil Proctor, Lance Henriksen, Rodger Bumpass, Pat Fry, Liv Tyler, John O'Hurley, Marcel Jeannin, Alexis Denisof, Joe Whyte, Steve Burns, Corey Burton, Bill Farmer, Debi Derryberry, Jodi Carlisle, Chris Sanders - Wolves, Peter Jackson, Bernard Fox, Paul Eiding, Danny Mann, Robert Clotworthy, David Cowgill, Philip L. Clarke - Wolves, Mona Marshall, Sherry Lynn, Kath Soucie, Bob Bergen, Steve Irwin, Wendy Hoffman, Frank Welker, Peter Sallis, John Fiedler, Edward Hibbert, Zoe Leader, Anthony Daniels, Frank Simms, Liz Callaway, Nikita Hopkins, John Rhys-Davies, Amick Byram, Howard McGillin, Eddie Korbich, Soon Tek-Oh, Carole Jeghers, Erik von Detten, Ron Perlman, Emma Taylor-Isherwood, Stephen J. Anderson, Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Patti Deutsch, Donald Fullilove, Rick Jones, J.K. Simmons, Billy Porter, Matthew Labyorteaux, June Foray, Don Bluth, Gary Goldman, Fonzi Thornton, Vaneese Thomas, Robert Rodriguez & Michael Gough Category:2004 films Category:2000s American animated films Category:Films directed by Robert Zemeckis Category:Films produced by Steve Starkey Category:Films produced by Robert Zemeckis Category:Films produced by Gary Goetzman Category:Films produced by William Teitler Category:Film scores by Alan Silvestri Category:Warner Bros. animated films Category:Warner Bros. films